Donington Race 1: Shedden wins

Gordon Shedden has won the first of today’s three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at the Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire. Shedden, starting from pole position in his Team Halfords Honda Civic, led every lap as his rivals struggled to keep up in the pouring rain.

Coming through to finish second – his best result to date in the BTCC – was Adam Jones in his Team Air Cool SEAT Toledo. Third, making up ground after a pit stop to replace a punctured tyre, was Shedden’s team-mate, the reigning champion Matt Neal who set the race’s fastest lap.

Finishing fifth and regaining the lead of the championship was SEAT driver Jason Plato. He now leads the series by two points from Vauxhall’s Fabrizio Giovanardi who finished the race in eighth.

Elsewhere, Mike Jordan recovered from a trip through a gravel trap in his Eurotech team’s Honda Integra to finish fourth and he could have been third had Neal not passed him in the closing stages.

Mat Jackson (BMW 320si) and Darren Turner (SEAT Leon) had challenged Shedden for the lead early on – the former having led into the first bend – but both dropped back after slithering off the track.